Om Namasivaya
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12/31/2003
Mantra is the sound-body of a god; Yantra depicts the sound-body in a diagram. Mantra = (Man = is to think or meditate + Tra = is to protect.) Yantra = instrument, engine, apparatus, amulet with mystical diagram endowed with protective occult powers. Yantra is a plate or paper on which geometric figures are drawn which concentrate the power of god. Tantra is a systemized way of offering worship. Mantras are chanted according to the rules of Tantra; the vibrations gather on the surface of Yantra and bounce off on their way to the specified god. The vibrations come into contact with the god, gather power and blessings and return back to the Sadhaka (chanter of Mantra) suffuse him with divinity and confer on him supernatural powers. Thus Mantra, Tantra and Yantra are complementary to each other. Mantras are not devised by sages or gods and were revealed by gods. Ajapa (A + Japa = No + Chant) is the primal Mantra. This chantless Mantra pervades the breath going in and out, the subtle sound ‘sah’ going in and the subtle sound ‘ham’ going out. (Sa = Siva, Vishnu, Lakshmi, or Gauri [Parvati or Sakti]; Ham = I am; so = Parvati.} As one chants this subtle-sound Mantra ‘soham’, a derivative of ‘sah-ham,’ ‘Hamsa’ comes into being by inversion. Soham, Hamsa and AUM (Pranava) are equipotent.
Tirumular says that AUM, though a three-letter word, is a one-letter Mantra. Soham is the unintonated sound of normal breathing, meaning ‘I am He.’ Hamsa, meaning ‘Swan’ as in RamaKrishna Parma-Hamsa, stands for an ascetic --Hamsan. All of us including all air-breathing living beings recite this Mantra ‘Soham’ unknowingly for a lifetime. This chantless Mantra (Ajapa Japa) is called Ajapa Gayatri. As you are breathing this chantless Soham in and out, you are identifying your individual self with the Great Self of the Supreme Being. Every breath (and the Mantra) that you take pervades the whole universe of your body. This life giving force or Mantra has the Great Self as the basis. Every time you chant a Mantra, it leads the individual soul to the Great Soul-- the Source, the Essence. All Mantras inclusive of Sakti, Vishnu and Siva Mantras and many but not all rituals are Tantric in origin; that is the reason why Tantra is called Mantra Sastra. Devi or Sakti says that any Sastra that is in opposition to Sruti, Smrti, and Oneness (Siva and Sakti in Saiva tradition, Vishnu and MahaLakshmi in Vaishnava tradition) such as Bhairava, Gautama, Kapala, Sakala and the like are created by her Maya power for bewilderment of those devoid of Her Grace.
Tirumular says in Tantra Four, Verse 885, that A became the world, A and U became Sakti and Siva and AUM became the Light (Jnana = Wisdom). M became the Maya.
As said earlier, Mantra is the sound-body of god; as the tree is contained in a seed, Brahmanda (Brahman + Anda = Brahman's Egg = Brahman's universe) is contained in the Mantra, Hamsa Mantra. Siva and Sakti throb in this Mantra. There is no life without this Mantra; it is integral to life and breathing, not only inspiration and expiration of air but the internal breathing of each cell. To exemplify this fact it is said that Hamsa Mantra is like light in the sun, oil in the sesamum seed, fire in the wood, Sakti in Siva, movement in the wind. All other Mantras do not have any potency unless they are conjoined with this Mantra; it is like saying a little salt goes a long way to make food palatable. Hamsa is Prasadapara (Supreme Grace) Mantra, learned from a Guru and gives release (liberation). Even gods like Vishnu, Rudra, and Brahma repeat this Mantra and gain knowledge, luster, and liberation. An ordinary Pasu (individual soul) becomes Pasupati (the Lord of the pasus). It is so powerful that a lowly man chanting this mantra can consecrate the idols and images. This mantra can be chanted by anyone to obtain its benefits; it erases all class distinctions, and confers liberation. Mantras in general are deity-specific and therefore fruit-specific (specific benefits); Hamsa is the King of Mantras and confers the Complete Fruit. Hamsa is thus Siva and Sakti, SatChitAnada, and Supreme Reality, yielding both Yoga and Bhoga.
Every Mantra has two Saktis (powers): Vacya Sakti and Vacaka Sakti; the former is the seed and latter is the flesh of the fruit; the former is life of Mantra and the latter is the sustainer of life; the Vacya Sakti is subject and transcendent, and Vacaka Sakti is object and immanent; one cannot get to the seed without going through the fruit; one cannot understand the meaning and true nature of Vacya sakti without worshipping Vacaka Sakti (they are like Brahman and Isvara); Vacya sakti is without attributes (Brahman), Vacaka Sakti is with attributes (Isvara); Vacya sakti is seed and Vacaka Sakti is the tree; seed and Vacya Sakti are latent and dormant, and tree and Vacaka Sakti are awake and florid; Vacya Sakti is white light and Vacaka Sakti is spectral or rainbow colors, yellow, blue, red and more of Kundalini Devi. Paramatma (Krishna) is Vacya Sakti, while the son of Devaki is Vacaka Sakti. Vacya is meaning; Vacaka is words, phrases and mutterings of Mantra. The god who is the subject of Mantra is Vacya Sakti and Pratipaadya (to be explained, meaning) Devata and god who is Mantra itself (god's sound body = Mantra) is Vacaka Sakti. Vacya Sakti is like clouds and Vacaka Sakti is like rain water. Vacya Sakti is unlimited; Vacaka Sakti is delimited. Vacya sakti is all-pervasive and unmanifest, while Vacaka Sakti is manifest. The Vacaka Sakti of Mantra with attributes is awakened by Siddhi of Sadhakas who then with the help Devi step into the monistic world of Brahman knowledge. (Ref. to white light and spectral or rainbow colors, and seed and tree are author's input.) Vacaka Sakti is the road to Vacya Sakti; the former is the means and the latter is the goal.
Mular says that 'Sa' sound originates in Nada and 'Ha' sound originates in Bindu. Hamsa = Ham + Sa = Male + Female = Siva + Sakti = Purusa + Prakrti. Hamsa is a bird: swan.
Each Mantra is packed with salubrious vibrations, the release of which spreads through the universe of human body and spirit like the ripples generated by a rock dropped in a pond. It is also compared to a seed, which packs a tree inside, the growth of which depends upon the fertile soil. Such is the power of Mantra. Mere chanting helps, but sincerity and surrender augment its power. Coming back to Soham, conscious recital (Mantra japa) of a Mantra and increasing the cycles of respiration with accompanying Mantra are performed by yogis. Increasing the respirations without professional guidance is not recommended for beginners for it alters the pH of the blood with some ill effects. The purpose of Mantra in kundalini yoga is to take you from a mere existence at Muladhara plane of four petals to superconscious Sahasrara plane of a thousand petals, where the unwound Kundalini power finds her union with Siva.
Mantras are double-edged swords; it can be used only for the good and never for harming anyone. If Mantras are used for evil purposes, it is like digging a grave for someone else but falling and getting interred in it. A Mantra is sound and or silent energy which has transformational power on the person who utters it. By Mantra a Devata is invoked. Chanting of Mantra is like shaking a sleeping person to wake up from sleep. The moving lips are Siva and Sakti; their movement is Mithuna (union). Sabda or sound is the name, artha is Devata whose name it is. The Devata that is produced is his/her manifestation, which is actually a roused, altered or higher consciousness of the Sadaka (aspirant), which can perceive the Artha or the object that is invoked by Mantra. Sabda is cognitive sound, while Artha is the object it denotes and the thought it provokes. Thus the whole universe is covered by sabda and the 50 letters of the Sanskrit alphabet, which is the Vaikhari stage in the evolution of Sound. Go to SOUND.HTM. Mahakali's garland of fifty heads represents those fifty letters; she absorbs the letters, the Sabda, and the Artha into herself during Maha Pralaya (Great dissolution). That is the naked fierceness of absorption or dissolution.
Sabda's causal source is Sabda Brahman, a manifest Brahman, while Para Brahman is unmanifest, soundless and Supreme, which is Turiya Consciousness where sound and thoughts involute. Go to POTPOURRI --Potpourri two for Sabda Brahman and Para Brahman.
AUM: Tirumular says that the one letter, A, represents the universe. The two letters A and U are Siva and Sakti, the latter being the all-powerful manifest energy of Siva. The three letters, A, U, and M are Siva, Sakti and Light, the last being Jnana or knowledge. The letter M is also Maya. Tirumular calls AUM as one-letter Mantra, representing Tandava, the Divine Dance of Siva. Tandava is derived from Tandu, a dancer and servant of Siva. Any act performed by Siva is a dance. The dances are named according to his acts (creation, maintenance, destruction, veiling and Grace), places (Chidambaram, etc.), and competition (Urdhva), 25 Lilas (acts of play). The most celebrated dance is the ‘Tandava’ in Chidambaram.
In the plane of Muladhara
(Kundalini, fist plane), he stands as Na-Ma-Si-Va-Ya--Na for earth and Brahma, Ma for water
and Vishnu, Si
for fire and
|
Entity |
Na |
Ma |
Si |
Va |
Ya |
|
The soul’s journey to Grace |
Veiling or Tirodhana |
Mala or impurity |
Lord Siva |
Arul or Grace |
The Jiva or individual soul |
|
Panchaakshara (Five Syllables) |
Tirodhana |
The Universe |
Lord Siva |
Revealing Grace |
The Jiva |
|
Body Parts |
the lower limbs |
the abdomen |
the shoulders |
The mouth or face |
The eyes or the head. |
| Dynamic Panchaakshara of Nataraja | Fire in the hand |
Right foot on Muyalakan
|
drum | out-stretched hand | left lower hand, dispelling fear |
|
Siva’s five functions in Nataraja stance |
Destruction (left posterior hand with flame). |
Concealing Grace, planted right foot. |
Creation, right posterior hand with the drum. |
Revealing Grace, left anterior hand pointing down to left foot--Jiva's refuge |
Maintenance (Sthiti), right anterior hand with supinated upright palm. (A-bhaya mudra—fear-not symbol) [high-five position of palm] |
|
Five Elements |
Earth |
Water |
Fire |
Air |
Akasa or ether |
| Bija Mantras |
Lam |
Vam | Ram | Yam | Ham |
|
Muladhara triangle-Kundalini |
Earth and Brahma |
Water and Vishnu |
Fire and Rudra |
Vayu and Rudra |
Akasa and Sadasiva |
|
AUM |
|
|
A (Siva) |
U (Sakti) |
|
|
Perpetual Bliss |
|
|
Bliss |
Bliss |
Bliss |
|
Jnana (knowledge) |
|
|
Knowledge |
|
Knowledge |
|
Pure Joy |
|
|
Pure Joy |
Pure Joy |
Pure Joy |
|
Tandava dance of dissolution merges in |
|
|
Si |
Va |
|
|
Agamic Mantra |
|
|
A (Sadasiva) |
U (Sadasiva) |
|
|
Pati-Pasu-Pasa Triangle |
|
Pasa |
Pati |
|
Pasu |
|
Siva and Sakti |
|
|
A (Srim) |
U (Krim) |
|
|
A and U |
|
|
Body of Siva |
Body of Siva |
|
|
The dance letters of Siva’s rhythmic dance steps. |
O |
I |
U |
A |
E |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Five hoods of snake |
|||||
|
Five finger |
|||||
|
five Cupid's arrows |
| Na | Ma | Si | Va | Ya |
| Earth | Water | Fire | Air / Wind / Vayu | Sky / Akasa |
| Lam | Vam | Ram | Yam | Ham |
Panchaaksharam, the five-syllable mantra, represents Siva in Lingam and Nataraja.
Tirumular says that anagram Mantra, Na-Ma-Va-Si-Ya stands in the sphere of Fire; Va-Si-Ya stands in that of Sun; and Va-Si stands in the sphere of Moon. Chanting Namasivaya drives away the fiery snake of Pasa--bondage. Sivaya Nama is the Sukshma (subtle) Mantra, chanting which eight thousand times reveals the subtle path of Sushumna, destroys karma, and gives the bliss of Siva. For a detailed presentation of AUM (OM) go to POTPOURRI